RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF TITLE IX

WHEREAS Title IX was passed into law in 1972 to prohibit gender discrimination in any educational program or activity, including school-based athletics, at any educational institution that is a recipient of federal funds, and Title IX requires educational institutions to provide equitable athletic opportunities for all students in terms of participation, treatment of athletic programs for the underrepresented gender, and availability of athletic scholarships; and

WHEREAS Women and girls have made great strides toward achieving educational equality, as well as parity in school-based athletics since the enactment of Title IX, and Title IX has provided women and girls with numerous opportunities to engage in college and high school athletics—opportunities that were not available to them prior to Title IX’s enactment; and

WHEREAS The Bush Administration has recently come out in favor of weakening Title IX especially when it comes to athletic opportunities for women and girls.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the California Democratic Party strongly urges the Bush Administration and the U.S. Congress to oppose any and all efforts to weaken Title IX, and to support strong enforcement of all existing anti-discrimination laws with particular attention to college and high school athletic opportunities for women and girls.

FURTHER, BE IT RESOLVED that the California Democratic Party calls on all elected officials to publicly reaffirm their support of Title IX and their opposition to gender discrimination; and that this Resolution be sent to President George W. Bush, the U.S. Secretary of Education, all Democratic members of Congress from California, all Democratic Presidential candidates, Governor Gray Davis, and the President of the U.C. Board of Regents.

Submitted by the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee (approved 2/26/03), and the Honorable Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi

Approved by the California Democratic Party at their 2003 Spring Convention

Originally drafted and submitted by DAN KALB, member S.F. DCCC